Answer the questions on the text:

 

1. When did resort hotels come of age?

2. How did the advent of rail travel contribute to resort hotels?

3. What regions are meant by the sunshine belfi

4. What made even the remote resorts more accessible?

5. What major sporting activities do some resorts focus on?

6. Why did some of the resorts suffer as the years passed?

7. What did the traditional family month-long resort vacation give way to?

8. Why did the resort hotels become more astute in marketing to different types of guests?

9. Why don't some resorts allow children in the high season?

10. Why do some resort hotels go out of their way to encourage families?

11. What program have Hyatt hotels organized?

12. Why have Hyatt hotels organized a program consisting of a variety of activities for children?

13. Why do many resort hotels attract conventions, conferences, and meetings?

 

1. Use proper words and phrases in the box below to complete these sentences:

1. Some resorts do not allow_____________ in the high season because their noise would interfere with adult guests.

2. Various resort hotels________ conventions, conferences, and meetings

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3. City dwellers and others like_________ to remote exotic and picturesque locations.

4. In the 1800s, ____ used to travel to luxury resorts by rail.

5. Improvements in _____ made even remote exotic locations more accessible for the population.

6. Young travelers prefer __________provided by the newer resorts.

7. Attracting conventions and conferences enables hotels to increase________________.

 

Say whether the following statements are true or false. Comment on the true statements and correct the false ones.

 

1. Resort hotels going out of their way to encourage families in the highseason allow no children.

2. Air travel has made remote resorts less accessible.

 

3. To increase occupancy many resort hotels attract conventions and meetings.

4. Shorter and more frequent getaways of four to seven days gave way to the traditional family month-long resort vacation.

5. Improvements in air travel made Europe, the Caribbean, and Mexico more accessible for American tourists.

 

Discussion

Try to identify the advantages of a Caucasus resort hotel on the basis of the following information about it. The following words and phrases will come in handy:

 

• city dweller

• traveling

• luxury resort hotel

• to find appealing

• spectacular mountain scenery

• picturesque locations

• the Caucasian Mountains

• sophisticated service

• food and beverages

• experienced chef

• guests' pleasure experience

• sporting activities

• skiing

• fishing

After having done the task, describe this type of resort in detail.

Work in pairs:

a) Look at the following words and phrases and think of a story that might combine them all.         You may reorder them in any way you like using any form of the verb:

• different types of guests

• went out of his way to encourage rich guests

• in the high season

• was necessary

• would become a good source of income

• hired an experienced general manager

• found new opportunities.

• too difficult

• made the critical decision

• introduced activities for children

• allow no children

• parents

• had ample opportunities

• enjoyed some free time on their own

• joined children in some fun activities

• responded to the demands of the guests

• especially increased occupancy

b) When you have decided upon the story, tell it to your partner. Then listen to that of your partner. Ask each other as many questions as you can to learn further details or clarify some points.

Entitle the paragraphs beginning with the words:

       Resort communities sprang up...

       In order to survive...

14. Divide the text into other logical parts and entitle each of them.

Give a summary of the text.

Case Study

 

 

SUDDENLY, CAIRO IS COOL

Background:

In spite of the war in Iraq, Gulf Arabs prefer holidaying in other Arab countries. Although Dubai has scant natural appeal and is little exciting in the way of history or culture, it attracts desert dwellers.

1. Read the supporting article and provide detailed answers to the case questions below.

War in Iraq was expected to wreck tourism in the Middle East.   Instead, hotels are bursting. Occupancy rates in Beirut are near 100%. In July, Egypt welcomed more tourists than in any other month in his­tory, Traffic jams in downtown Cairo linger until the small hours. Prop­erty prices in Lebanon's chic hill stations are soaring. Why?

       The region's biggest-spending travellers, Gulf Arabs, have abandoned jaunts to Europe and America for closer and, as luck would have it, cooler climes: while Europe bakes, the Eastern Mediterranean is enjoying ' one of the mildest summers in memory.

       Gulf Arabs have long flocked to their less conservative neighbours for pleas­ures they cannot sample at home. Cairo and Beirut, and even Damascus or  Amman, boast an urban buzz that is wholly absent from the sun-baked Arabian peninsula, complete with booze, gambling and unveiled girls. «We like to call it coming up for flesh air», puns a Jeddah businessman, lounging with friends in the lobby of Cairo's Semiramis Hotel.

The brashest self-promoter is Dubai. The emirate has scant natural appeal, little exciting in the way of history or culture, and is infernally hot. But it has bundled cleanliness, efficiency, fancy shopping and flashy to boast gimmicks into a surprisingly successful package. It already boasts the world's tallest hotel, its biggest artificial island (under construction), and an indoor ski slope. The latest novelty is even surer to attract parched but desert dwellers. A German investor is sinking $500 million into the world's first undersea hotel. [4]

 

 

 

Vocabulary notes

to wreck                                       зд. нанести серьезный ущерб, положить конец;                                                              вызывать крушение или разру­шение

to burst = to burst into life         зд. начать неожиданно (или пользоваться спросом),                                              получив некий толчок извне

to soar                                          взмывать вверх (о ценах, инфляции, без­работице)

 

Gulf (the)                                     Персидский залив

occupancy                                    зд. заполняемость (отеля клиентами)

downtown                                    центр города

traffic jam                                    дорожная «пробка»

to linger                                        зд. продолжаться, длиться

chic                                               роскошный, шикарный

 

hill station                                    селение в горах, где состоятельные лю­ди укрываются                                                от палящей жары (в Азии и на Ближнем Востоке)

to abandon                                   зд. прекращать

  jaunt (through, to)                      1) экскурсия; увеселительная прогулка, поездка

                                                 to go on a jaunt! — отправиться в увеселительную                                                                     поездку

                                                 2) долгое, утомительное путешествие

to clime                                         местность, для которой характерен определенный                                                                                 климат

to bake                                         жариться на солнце

 

 

to flock                                         зд. Стекаться; приходить толпой, собираться толпами

                                                      толпами.

to sample                                      испытывать, пробовать

to boast                                         иметь что-либо хорошее или ценное, чем восхищаются                                             окружающие или приезжие.

buzz                                              деловая суета, суматошная активность

peninsula                                      полуостров

booze                                            выпивка, спиртное; попойка; сленг

«пьянка»

unveiled                                        зд. с открытым, т.е. не закрытым

                                                      (напр., густой вуалью, чадрой или паранджой) лицом (о                                              женщинах мусульманского Востока)

buzz                                              зд. сильное положительное впечатлени е

 

 

to gamble                                играть в азартные игры

flesh                                         плоть, плотский. Зд. Непереводимая игра слов: flesh                                              и fresh: fresh air — свежий воздух; flesh air —                                                                   «плотская» атмосфера, т.е. атмосфера флирта,                                                              создаваемая женщинами так наз. «легкого по ведения»                                                     для досуга состоятельных мужчин

                 

to lounge                           сидеть развалясь; бездельничать

to pun                               зд. острить, каламбурить

Jeddah                              Джидда — город-порт в Саудовской Аравии в 70 км от                                         Мекки

Semiramis Hotel              отель Семирамиды. Назван в честь царицы Ассирии. В IX в. до                                  н.э. она велелапостроить город Вавилон и висячие сады в нем.                                  Висячие сады Семирамиды — одно из семи чудес света древ­                                           ности.

brash                                чрезмерно самоуверенный; нахальный наглый

flashy                                зд. вульгарный, крикливый; бросающийся в глаза

gimmick                            диковинка, новинка; ухищрение, хитрость

infernally                          зд. адски, невыносимо                         

parched                            зд. обгоревший на солнце

desert                              пустыня

dweller                               житель, обитатель

to sink                              инвестировать средства во что-либо с надеждой на получение                                    прибыли

emirate                             эмират

indoor                               зд. находящийся в помещении

ski slope                             лыжный спуск

to bundle                         связывать в узел (часто —to bundle up); собирать, упаковывать

undersea                           зд. на дне моря; подводный;

 

Case questions:

 

1. Did the war in Iraq wreck tourism in the Middle East?

2. Who are the region's biggest-spending travellers?

3. Why have Arab tourists abandoned jaunts to Europe and America?

4. Why do Gulf Arabs often travel to the neighbouring countries?

5. What differences do rich Arab tourists find between Cairo or Beirut and the Arabian peninsula?

6. What country boasts the world's tallest hotel?

7. Where will the world's first undersea hotel be built?

 

 

Pretend you are a hotel owner in the Caucasus. Earlier this year, federal troops have raided several Chechen villages who seemed to support I hi rebels. Potential guests are scared of going to Chechnya. You cannot work at a profit under such circumstances. What measures would you take to be competitive with other Caucasian hotels?

 

While making your decision consider the following issues:

• occupancy rates in your hotel are near 30%;

• there are plenty of hotels on the Russian Black-Sea coast;

• federal troops and Chechen militia have taken to arresting people merely seeming to resemble rebels;

• it is fairly natural that potential customers are not quite sure they or their kids won't be kidnapped;

• potential customers may be scared of terrorist attacks; t potential customers are still drawn by resorts and spectacular mountain scenery;

• automobile and air travel makes even the remote places more accessible;

• an increasing number of people are able to afford such expensive holidays in the Caucasus.